Vietnam a Fairly New Holiday Destination. Go before the Masses

North Vietnam.

One Pillar Pagoda

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Attraction | "Tiny Lotus Temple"

The one Pillar Pagoda Photo - One Pillar Pagoda, Hanoi, Vietnam

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One Pillar Pagoda Hanoi.The one Pillar Pagoda can be found in Hanoi not too far away from Ho Chi Minhs Mausoleum. Emperor Ly who ruled Vietnam from 1028 to 1054 had this Small temple built in the middle of a lotus pond. Apparently as legend goes he did not have children and used to go to a temple everyday to pray for the birth of a child. He met a peasant girl and married her. One night the Emperor had a dream of a lotus pond and in the dream he saw a small pagoda in the shape of a lotus. He was told by a monk that he must build this temple when his wife gave birth.Several months later his wife gave birth and in 1049 he built the temple which is still s...Read More

One Pillar Pagoda Hanoi.

The one Pillar Pagoda can be found in Hanoi not too far away from Ho Chi Minhs Mausoleum.

Emperor Ly who ruled Vietnam from 1028 to 1054 had this Small temple built in the middle of a lotus pond. Apparently as legend goes he did not have children and used to go to a temple everyday to pray for the birth of a child. He met a peasant girl and married her. One night the Emperor had a dream of a lotus pond and in the dream he saw a small pagoda in the shape of a lotus.

He was told by a monk that he must build this temple when his wife gave birth.

Several months later his wife gave birth and in 1049 he built the temple which is still standing today.

The temple is on a single pillar of stone and is made of wood. It measures about one and a half metres in diameter. The roof is shaped so as to look like a lotus in bloom.
It was renovated in 1105 and a large bell was cast to place inside it but the bell was too large so it was removed and sent out into the country side. The emperor used to hold a ceremony every year where all the monks would gather and the Emperor would bath the Buddha. The emperor would then release a bird which the pilgrims would try to follow.

It was destroyed by French forces when they withdrew from the city in 1954 and has been rebuilt again to its former glory in 1955 as a replica of the original one Pillar pagoda. The stone on which it is placed now is in fact concrete so it is not perhaps as beautiful as it once was.

It is so sad to think that many religious and historical buildings and monuments were damaged by invading forces and particularly cruel when they are religious buildings and so very disrespectful. Throughout Vietnam buildings that were hundreds and thousands of years old were destroyed by bombing or sheer vandalism.

The one pillar pagoda is quite beautiful to look at and it is not too far from the Presidential palace and Ho Chi Minhs wooden house. It is worth going to see when in the area. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on October 25, 2009

One Pillar Pagoda
Pho Ong Ich Kiem
Hanoi, Vietnam
+84 4 942 1061 (VNAT

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Hoa Lo Prison

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Attraction | "The Hanoi Hilton"

Part of the Prison. Photo - Hoa Lo Prison, Hanoi, Vietnam

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Hoa Lo Prison Hanoi.Hoa Lo prison otherwise known as The Hanoi Hilton was a prison built by the French in 1886 to house political prisoners during their occupation of Vietnam. Often they were tortured and executed there within the grounds of the prison. The prison is quite small initially holding around 400 prisoners it was expanded in 1913 to hold 600 but actually in reality it packed in more normally anywhere between 700 to 895 prisoners in 1916 however it was topped during the 2nd World War by holding 2000 prisoners both international and ethnic prisoners especially South Vietnamese. Prisoners were held either in solitary confinement or in dormitories where they would ...Read More

Hoa Lo Prison Hanoi.

Hoa Lo prison otherwise known as The Hanoi Hilton was a prison built by the French in 1886 to house political prisoners during their occupation of Vietnam. Often they were tortured and executed there within the grounds of the prison.
The prison is quite small initially holding around 400 prisoners it was expanded in 1913 to hold 600 but actually in reality it packed in more normally anywhere between 700 to 895 prisoners in 1916 however it was topped during the 2nd World War by holding 2000 prisoners both international and ethnic prisoners especially South Vietnamese.

Prisoners were held either in solitary confinement or in dormitories where they would be shackled together on a raised platform bed which sloped downwards at the foot. Diseases such as dysentery and Malaria were rife among the prisoners along with little medical attention given if at all.

The American prisoners of war were held in a separate wing and kept apart from the other prison population. The first American Prisoner of war was an airman called Everett Alverez.. Many prisoners died before the Vietnamese were able to execute them either through torture or illnesses. The Vietnamese denied any torture took place citing the American prisoners themselves have knick named it the Hanoi Hilton as the accommodation is as comfortable as a hotel. They were not granted any civil rights as deemed a requirement of the Geneva convention but Vietnam had never signed up to it they claimed it didn’t apply to them.

The ways they tortured the prisoners were numerous. Sleep deprivation, beatings water torture, whipping and slapping, bones broken and teeth knocked out. The Vietnamese were trying to get the prisoners to make statements saying they were being well treated and that the American invasion was wrong, Food was in short supply and what food they were given was often contaminated with faeces both animal and human, Methods of execution included the guillotine which was used in the prison and is still there preserved to this day, Of course the guillotine was the most favoured method of execution by the French and was mainly used on Vietnamese prisoners. Both men and women were held in the prison but were segregated.

The prison is situated in the centre of Hanoi and prisoners were able to call out to passing people sometimes food or drugs were thrown over the walls for the inmates but as you can imagine penalty’s were harsh even leading to imprisonment and execution. There are new modern tall buildings surrounding and towering over what little remains of it. Most of the prison was demolished to make way for these buildings including a new Hotel. What little part is left has been preserved as a museum. The Vietnamese do however still insist that they treated the prisoners well and there are pictures of prisoners there showing the prisoners playing pool. However there were several prisoners who following their release told a completely different story. A film has been made of the Hanoi Hilton in fact the hotel chain did build a Hotel in Hanoi eventually but named it after the opera house.

Along the back wall of the prison there is a relief carved into the walls to those who lost their lives in the prison there has also been a film made about the conditions in the Hanoi Hilton,

It is quite interesting a place to visit.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on October 24, 2009

Hoa Lo Prison
1 Hoa Lo Street
Hanoi, Vietnam

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Thien Mu Pagoda

Attraction | "A Beautiful Seven Tiered Pagoda"

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Thien Mu Pagoda & Buddhist temple, Hue.We were driven to the small compound near to the temple then got off the bus where we were immediately surrounded by people trying to sell the wares. A firm no and avoiding eye contact is all that is required for them to get the message. If they manage to get eye contact that is the first mistake you will ever make and they are halfway there to making a quick sale.There is a slight incline to reach the temple grounds and then a flight of about 50 – 60 quite steep steps.As you reach the top of the steps right in front of you is the magnificent 7 tiered Pagoda built in 1601 which is a stunning site and can be seen for miles around....Read More

Thien Mu Pagoda & Buddhist temple, Hue.

We were driven to the small compound near to the temple then got off the bus where we were immediately surrounded by people trying to sell the wares. A firm no and avoiding eye contact is all that is required for them to get the message. If they manage to get eye contact that is the first mistake you will ever make and they are halfway there to making a quick sale.
There is a slight incline to reach the temple grounds and then a flight of about 50 – 60 quite steep steps.

As you reach the top of the steps right in front of you is the magnificent 7 tiered Pagoda built in 1601 which is a stunning site and can be seen for miles around. Walking around the back of the pagoda there are two small roofed open aired buildings housing a massive drum and a massive bell. Visitors are encouraged to ring these and bang the drum by pulling back on a large log tied to a rope and then letting it go so that it lets out a loud thud or ring when it hits the side of the drum or bell.

After these buildings there is the monks living quarters and there is the car that belonged to Thích Quảng Đức who committed suicide by driving the car to the middle of Saigon outside the Cambodian Embassy stopping the car getting out placing a cushion on the floor which he then sat on adopting the lotus position. Some other monks began pouring petrol over him he lit a match and dropped it into his lap. For ten minutes he burnt before his skin shrivelled and twisted in the heat toppled forward and the fire went out. He did this in protest at the country’s behaviour and treatment towards the Buddhists. It was caught on camera and mailed across the world and made headline news. Several other monks also did the same following this until the government were forced by international pressure to treat Buddhists the same as anyone else. His body was stored in the monastry and cremated but his heart remained intact and did not burn. It was held as a holy relic along with his ashes. The government soldiers tried to seize his ashes but fortunately two monks took his urn and hid it.

Behind this are is the temple with several statues of Buddha surrounded by landscaped gardens. The atmosphere is very peaceful and relaxing. It is quiet and a place for contemplation.

The temple and Pagoda are on top of a hill which over looks the perfumed river. Although it is called the perfumed river it certainly is not. It is the romanticised name of the river.

It is a lovely place to visit and a must see on anyone’s Itinerary if visiting Hue.

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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on October 24, 2009

Thien Mu Pagoda

Hue, Vietnam

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The Citadel at Hue - concentric

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Attraction | "Vietnams Forbidden City"

The main entrance into the Citadel. Photo - The Citadel at Hue - concentric, Hue, Vietnam

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Hue.Hue was the old Capital city of Vietnam more or less half way down the coast in the central area of Vietnam. It is a beautiful ancient city that is delightful to visit and used to be the imperial capital of Vietnam. The Emperor palace was here which was similar in some respects to the palace in Beijing. Hue is quite an ancient fishing town beside the Perfumed River. There are many historical buildings around the town and some very old traditional Vietnamese houses and temples. The perfumed river runs through the cityThe Emporers Palace and the Citadel.The Citadel is a massive fortified fort which had huge cannons on the walls for protection of the Emperor...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on October 24, 2009

The Citadel at Hue - concentric
Citadel at Hue
Hue, Vietnam

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Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

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Attraction | "A Typical Communist Memorial"

Ho Chi Minhs Mausoleum. Hanoi. Photo - Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi, Vietnam

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Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.Who was Ho Chi Mein?Ho Chi Minh was born in 1890 and originally named Nguyen Sinh Cung and at 10 years old his father renamed him Nguyen Tat Thanh in line with confusion tradition. In 1911 he left Vietnam for France and applied to become a student but he was rejected so became a waiter and cleaner. Any spare time he had was spent studying in the libraries in Paris. In 1912 he left France and headed for New York and spent a year there after which he moved to England and lived for several years here up to 1919.From 1919 he then moved to France where he became involved in Communism and was a founding member of the French communist party. He ...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on October 24, 2009

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
5 Pho Ngoc Ha
Hanoi, Vietnam
+84 4 942 1061

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Ha Long Bay (Halong Bay)

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Attraction | "The Weird Limestone Islands Rising out of the Sea"

Our cruiser around Ha Long Bay. Photo - Ha Long Bay (Halong Bay), Halong Bay, Vietnam

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Halong Bay.Halong bay is situated just off the coast North East of Hanoi in the gulf of Tonkin. It took us about three and a half hours to drive there from Hanoi for a day trip but there are different trips you can do including sleeping on a boat for a couple of days if you wish. Our day trip cost approximately $50 a head including luxury coach from Hanoi passing small villages and paddy fields stopping en route for refreshment and toilet stops. We were on the boat for about five hours including a cooked seafood lunch meal or a meat based meal it was up to you to choose which you preferred. Drinks were available for an extra cost. We then returned to Halong where the coach was waiting to t...Read More

Halong Bay.

Halong bay is situated just off the coast North East of Hanoi in the gulf of Tonkin. It took us about three and a half hours to drive there from Hanoi for a day trip but there are different trips you can do including sleeping on a boat for a couple of days if you wish. Our day trip cost approximately $50 a head including luxury coach from Hanoi passing small villages and paddy fields stopping en route for refreshment and toilet stops. We were on the boat for about five hours including a cooked seafood lunch meal or a meat based meal it was up to you to choose which you preferred. Drinks were available for an extra cost. We then returned to Halong where the coach was waiting to take us back to Hanoi. It was well worth the trip for the views and the experience.

Halong bay means Dragon bay named so because according to legend the dragons were sent by the Gods to help fight ward of Chinese invaders. The dragons spat out Jewels which turned into the little islets and Islands that are dotting the bay. There are in total 2000 such islets. An area of 775 islets has been designated a world heritage site by UNESCO. The rock formations are made of limestone and have been around for 5000 million years.

If you think of James bond film with the Massive rock formations from Phang Nga bay in Thailand well this is much bigger.

The water is crystal clear and it is here in the bay prior to lunch that the captain dropped anchor and we took the opportunity of having a swim in the South China Sea. The water was pleasantly warm and certainly inviting although this is not always the case.

The islets have some thick jungle on the top of some of the islets and there are 4 water gypsy villages based around some of the islets nearer to shore. You can take the boats out to the islands for a tour which involves passing one of the gypsy water villages built on stilts around the base of the islets then out to one of the bays for swimming in the crystal clear waters. There are 300 species of fish that live within the bay and on some of the islets are inhabited by birds, monkeys, chickens antelopes and lizards.

There are caves you can visit by using a canoe and some of the larger islands there are lakes inside them. However tourism has upset the fine balance here due to dropped litter, discarded wine bottle beer tins as well. Some of the caves have been widened to allow the canoes to enter and some tourists have broken off stalactites’ and stalagmites as souvenirs. Carbon dioxide exhaled on the breath of tourists has had an affect on the inside of the caves.

If visiting the bay I would be very wary about checking the weather forecast as mists suddenly descend without warning and storms brew up unexpectedly and there are sometimes deaths due to this. You should also ensure that your boat is sea worthy and wear the life jackets provided.

The day we went there all of a sudden a mist descended which obscured some of the islets but we were enjoying the views so much It didn’t mar our experience although of course it would have been better if it had stayed clear the whole time we were there. About two days after we had visited the bay a massive storm brewed up and 60 people lost their lives in the bay and also recently a couple of weeks ago another boat capsized resulting of the death of two French tourists.

Would I recommend a tour here?

Yes absolutely, yes for the point of view of providing much needed cash to the local economy and also the experience you are going to gain from seeing the fishing villages, the remarkable caves and rock formations. It is definitely a highlight attraction in Vietnam.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on October 23, 2009

Ha Long Bay (Halong Bay)
Gulf of Tonkin
Halong Bay, Northeastern Vietnam

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Hanoi

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Attraction | "A Good Place to Start Your Tour!"

Hanoi opera house. Photo - Hanoi, Vietnam

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Hanoi. Vietnam.Hanoi the capital city of Vietnam is found in the Northern region of the country. It has been the capital city on and off over the past 3000 years when Hanoi was first settled by man. Over the years Vietnam has been invaded by other countries namely the Chinese, the French and the Americans.Vietnam is a communist country and was fully financed by the Russians during the cold war period but now receives very little financial aid from Russia. The south of the country remained democratic until the Vietnamese north decided to invade the south thereby bringing the wrath of America down on the country to protect the south from being taken over completely by the V...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on October 23, 2009

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